Garoowe, Somalia – On May 24, 2025, Puntland officially commenced a large-scale integrated vaccination campaign aimed at preventing Measles, Polio, Pneumonia, and two other dangerous childhood diseases. This campaign will be implemented across all nine regions of Puntland, targeting over 650,000 children under the age of five.

The vaccination initiative is a collaborative effort between the Puntland Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Puntland’s Vice President, Ilyas Osman Lugatoor, inaugurated the campaign in a ceremony held in Garoowe. He emphasized the importance of combining scientific health knowledge with Islamic values, describing vaccination as the most effective method to strengthen children’s immunity and protect them from deadly regional diseases such as measles, whooping cough, and tetanus.

“I urge parents to facilitate the vaccination teams so that their children can be protected from these diseases,” Lugatoor stated.

According to the Puntland Ministry of Health, nearly 2,000 health professionals are mobilized to deliver vaccines at health centers and conduct home visits to ensure all children are vaccinated.

The integrated vaccination campaign will run from May 24 to May 28, 2025, marking a crucial step in improving the overall health standards of Puntland.